Smart RFID tags in all lanes of toll plazas from Oct-end

All lanes at toll plazas on National Highways (NHs) will be equipped to process vehicles with smart RFID tags by October-end as the government takes several steps to push availability of such tags at multiple points.Dipak K Dash | TNN | July 20, 2017, 14:00 IST

NEW DELHI: All lanes at toll plazas on National Highways (NHs) will be equipped to process vehicles with smart tags by October-end as the government takes several steps to push availability of such tags at multiple points.

At present, only one lane on each side of the 371 toll plazas on NHs are enabled to process RFID tags, which forces people to queue up at these lanes. RFID tags enable a vehicle to cross the toll gates without stopping as the user charge is paid electronically.

Sources said the tags will be available at highway plazas, petrol pumps and gas stations on NHs, citizen service centres and all new vehicles will be fitted with radio frequency identification (RFID) tags before rolling out of showrooms.

Government officials said for old vehicles, there will also be provision to provide the facility to install these tags when they visit service centres. All these points will offer top-up option for existing tags.

At present, about 5.5 lakh vehicles have got RFID tags and the PMO has the target to increase it to 15 lakh by March 2018. The 10 vendors who are supplying the RFID tags have assured the ministry to make at least four lakh tags available every month so that there is no shortage.

Moreover, in its bid to ensure that there are enough lanes at toll plazas to avoid queues, NHAI has decided to follow anorm for how many lanes will be built at the plazas. “From now onwards all new projects will follow the 1:4 ration for building the number of lanes. This means a toll plaza on a four lane highway will have at least 16 lanes at the toll plaza. In the case of existing stretches, additional lanes will be built at toll plazas. If there is a need to get land, the authority will acquire land,” said an official.

TOI has also learnt that 50% of the outer lanes on both sides at toll plazas will be fitted with weigh-in-motion bridges to detect overloading of vehicles. Smart tags in all lanes of toll plazas from Oct-end.